- The ENCOR Blueprint and What v1.2 Changed
- Domain 1: Architecture (15%)
- Domain 2: Virtualization (10%)
- Domain 3: Infrastructure (30%)
- Domain 4: Network Assurance (10%)
- Domain 5: Security (20%)
- Domain 6: Automation and Artificial Intelligence (15%)
- Choosing Your Concentration Exam
- Registration, Format, and Fee Mechanics
- Who Actually Hires for This Skill Set
- Scheduling Study Time Around Domain Weight
- FAQ
- ENCOR 350-401 has six domains; Infrastructure at 30% is the single heaviest area.
- v1.2 (effective March 19, 2026) raised Security to 20% and renamed the automation domain to Automation and Artificial Intelligence.
- Wireless topics were removed from ENCOR v1.2 and moved to the wireless specialty track.
- You need ENCOR ($400, 120 minutes) plus one concentration exam ($300, 90 minutes) to earn CCNP Enterprise.
The ENCOR Blueprint and What v1.2 Changed
Every fact about CCNP Enterprise content areas traces back to one document: the official Cisco blueprint for 350-401 ENCOR (Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies), the required core exam for the certification. The blueprint currently sits at version v1.2, effective March 19, 2026, and it defines six weighted domains that determine how questions are distributed across a scored session.
The v1.2 revision made three structural changes worth understanding before you plan a study calendar. First, the automation domain was renamed Automation and Artificial Intelligence to reflect how AI-assisted operations now show up in enterprise tooling. Second, Security was raised to 20% of the exam, making it the second-heaviest domain behind Infrastructure. Third, Cisco Catalyst Center AI-powered workflows were folded into the Network Assurance domain, while all wireless topics were removed entirely and pushed to the separate wireless specialty track. If you studied from an older guide, this shift is the single most important update to internalize - for a broader walkthrough of how to sequence prep around it, see the CCNP Enterprise Study Guide.
Domain 1: Architecture (15%)
Architecture
This domain tests your ability to design and justify enterprise network structures rather than just configure individual devices. Expect scenario questions that ask you to compare architectural approaches and explain the tradeoffs.
- Enterprise network design principles across campus, WAN, and cloud-connected topologies
- High availability techniques at the device, link, and control-plane level
- QoS design fundamentals as they relate to overall architecture, not isolated commands
Because Architecture questions are conceptual, they often reward candidates who can articulate why a design choice was made, not just what the configuration looks like. This is one area where memorized command syntax will not carry you through a scenario item.
Domain 2: Virtualization (10%)
Virtualization
Virtualization is a smaller-weight domain, but it still shows up in performance-based lab items where you must recognize virtualized constructs inside an otherwise physical topology.
- Device virtualization concepts and how they apply to enterprise infrastructure
- Data path virtualization technologies used to segment traffic across a shared physical network
- Network virtualization concepts that separate control and forwarding logic from underlying hardware
Candidates frequently underrate this domain because it carries only 10%, but skipping it entirely is risky since exam forms vary and a handful of missed virtualization items can matter more than expected on a borderline attempt.
Domain 3: Infrastructure (30%)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is the single heaviest domain on ENCOR at 30%, and it is where most of the exam's troubleshooting-style and performance-based lab items live.
- 802.1q trunking behavior and EtherChannel troubleshooting
- RSTP and MST spanning-tree operation and convergence
- OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 configuration, verification, and troubleshooting
- EIGRP comparison against other IGPs, including metric and convergence behavior
- eBGP between directly connected neighbors
- NAT/PAT translation mechanics
- HSRP and VRRP first-hop redundancy behavior
- NTP and PTP time synchronization
- Multicast fundamentals
Given its weight, Infrastructure deserves the largest share of your study hours by a wide margin. If you're trying to gauge how much effort that actually takes relative to other Cisco exams, the CCNP Enterprise difficulty guide breaks down where this domain tends to trip up candidates who come from a routing-only or switching-only background.
Key Takeaway
Because Infrastructure alone accounts for nearly a third of the exam, weak OSPF, EIGRP, or eBGP troubleshooting skills will disproportionately hurt your score compared to gaps in any other single domain.
Domain 4: Network Assurance (10%)
Network Assurance
Network Assurance now absorbs the Cisco Catalyst Center AI-powered workflows that were added in v1.2, meaning this domain has grown in conceptual scope even though its point weight stayed at 10%.
- Network monitoring, telemetry, and diagnostic approaches
- Catalyst Center AI-powered workflows for assurance and troubleshooting
- Techniques for interpreting operational data to identify network issues before they escalate
This is a domain where the exam has visibly evolved with the technology it tests, so relying on older study material for this section specifically is one of the more common mistakes candidates make.
Domain 5: Security (20%)
Security
Security was raised to 20% in the v1.2 blueprint revision, making it the second-largest domain after Infrastructure. This shift alone changes how a rational study plan should allocate time compared to older exam versions.
- Device security, access control, and hardening practices for enterprise infrastructure
- Infrastructure security controls applied across routing and switching environments
- Secure network access and segmentation concepts
Candidates preparing from pre-v1.2 material often underweight Security relative to its current 20% share. If your prep plan hasn't been updated to reflect that jump, it's worth revisiting before you lock in a testing date - see CCNP Enterprise Exam Dates for how registration timing interacts with blueprint versions.
Domain 6: Automation and Artificial Intelligence (15%)
Automation and Artificial Intelligence
The v1.2 revision renamed this domain from a plain automation label to Automation and Artificial Intelligence, signaling that AI-driven operational concepts are now explicitly in scope alongside traditional programmability topics.
- Network programmability fundamentals and automation concepts
- APIs and model-driven programmability as they apply to enterprise infrastructure
- Automation and AI-assisted operational workflows within enterprise network management
Even candidates with strong CLI backgrounds sometimes stumble here because the domain rewards familiarity with automation concepts and tooling logic rather than deep coding expertise.
Choosing Your Concentration Exam
ENCOR is only half of the requirement. To finish CCNP Enterprise, you also need one concentration exam, each priced at $300 USD with a 90-minute time limit, chosen from a defined list:
- 300-410 ENARSI
- 300-415 ENSDWI
- 300-420 ENSLD
- 300-435 ENAUTO
- 300-440 ENCC
- 300-445 ENNA
Each passed professional-level exam, including ENCOR, is valid for three years, so both the core and your chosen concentration exam must be passed inside that same window to complete the certification. Picking a concentration that overlaps with your day-to-day role tends to make the second exam faster to prepare for, since you're reinforcing rather than starting fresh. For a full walkthrough of eligibility mechanics and timing rules, see CCNP Enterprise Requirements.
| Exam | Role | Fee | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 350-401 ENCOR | Required core exam | $400 USD | 120 minutes |
| Concentration exam (choice of six) | Required specialization exam | $300 USD | 90 minutes |
Registration, Format, and Fee Mechanics
Both exams are issued by Cisco Systems and delivered through Pearson VUE, either at a physical test center or via online proctoring. They're available in English and Japanese. There's no fixed published item count, but candidates commonly report forms with 90 to 110 items, and every current CCNP exam mixes traditional multiple-choice with performance-based lab items that require you to actually configure or troubleshoot a simulated environment rather than just recall a fact.
Because Cisco doesn't publish an exact cut score, most guidance points to a scaled passing threshold widely reported near 825 out of 1000 - for a deeper breakdown of what that number means in practice, see CCNP Enterprise Passing Score. If you're mapping out a full budget across both exams, retakes, and materials, the CCNP Enterprise Certification Cost breakdown covers the fee mechanics in more detail.
Who Actually Hires for This Skill Set
Because the blueprint centers on enterprise routing, switching, security, and automation rather than a single vendor niche, roles tied to this skill set tend to sit at the network engineer, network administrator, and infrastructure engineer level within organizations running multi-site campus and WAN environments. Passing ENCOR alone already earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification and satisfies the qualifying requirement for both CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure and CCIE Enterprise Wireless lab attempts, which is why some candidates treat ENCOR as a checkpoint on a longer expert-level path rather than a standalone goal. For a closer look at how this maps to real job postings, see CCNP Enterprise Jobs.
Scheduling Study Time Around Domain Weight
A generic weekly template isn't useful on its own, but mapping study weeks directly to domain weight is. Since Infrastructure carries 30% and Security carries 20%, those two domains alone account for half the exam's weighting and should receive roughly half your total prep time.
Infrastructure (30%)
- Drill OSPFv2/v3, EIGRP comparisons, and eBGP neighbor setup
- Practice HSRP/VRRP and EtherChannel troubleshooting scenarios
Security (20%)
- Review device hardening and secure access concepts
- Work through infrastructure security controls in lab scenarios
Architecture (15%) and Automation/AI (15%)
- Compare design tradeoffs across architecture scenarios
- Review APIs, model-driven programmability, and AI-assisted workflows
Virtualization (10%) and Network Assurance (10%)
- Cover device, data path, and network virtualization concepts
- Study Catalyst Center AI-powered assurance workflows
Once you've cycled through all six domains once, a second pass focused on weak spots - using a quick-reference resource like the CCNP Enterprise Cheat Sheet - tends to be more productive than a third full read-through. Running timed practice sets on our practice test platform before exam day is also one of the more reliable ways to confirm you can perform under the same time pressure as the real 120-minute ENCOR session.
FAQ
Start with Infrastructure since it carries 30% of the exam, the heaviest single domain, covering OSPF, EIGRP, eBGP, and first-hop redundancy protocols.
Yes. The v1.2 blueprint revision, effective March 19, 2026, removed wireless topics from ENCOR and moved them to the separate wireless specialty track.
Yes. CCNP Enterprise requires ENCOR at $400 USD plus one concentration exam at $300 USD, chosen from ENARSI, ENSDWI, ENSLD, ENAUTO, ENCC, or ENNA.
It was renamed to Automation and Artificial Intelligence and now explicitly includes AI-assisted operational workflow concepts alongside traditional programmability topics.
Yes. Passing ENCOR by itself earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification and satisfies the qualifying exam requirement for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure and CCIE Enterprise Wireless lab attempts.
Understanding the exact weight and scope of each domain is the foundation for every other decision in your prep - from which concentration exam to pick to how many weeks you'll need before test day. For related groundwork on what the certification actually is before you dive into domain-level study, browse What Is CCNP Enterprise? or explore more practice scenarios on the main site.